A conventional object detection device is mounted in a vehicle, and detects an object by transmitting a transmission wave to a detection range and receiving a reflected wave resulting from the reflection by the object within the detection range. The above object detection device is used for an automatic control such as automatically applying brakes, for example, when an object has been detected.
For example, it may not be necessary to avoid collision against an object low in height, such as a curbstone, which can be driven over by a vehicle. Accordingly, in order to avoid incorrect detections such as detection of the low-height object, an object detection device mounted in a vehicle is designed so that low objects to a certain degree are not included within a detection range (for example, PTL 1). Specifically, the transmission direction of a transmission wave is set to a horizontal direction, and when the vehicle body is inclined and there is a possibility that a low-height object as mentioned above is included within the detection range, the detection range is reduced by decreasing the gain of the reception of a reflected wave.